Rise and Fall

by A. L. Kessler

  Liz laughed. “Or get himself into a lot of trouble.”

  I nodded. “Yeah, come, let’s go talk to Christof and get that over with.”

  “Hi-ho, hi-ho, it’s off to work we go,” she muttered as we headed to the stairs.

  I never liked containment. But ever since I’d spent time there on false charges, I really didn’t like it. The big concrete building sat in the middle of forest land, away from the city, and surrounded by magically enhanced barbed wire.

  When we crossed over the threshold of the front door, a magical barrier snapped over us, cutting our magic off. I shivered at the effect. This was just a light spell. When we ventured further into the interview rooms, the magic would tighten and we wouldn’t be able to feel it at all.

  Liz walked up to the counter to check us in while I stood back a little, observing the small reception room. A guard stood at the door that led further into the facility, with his hands clasped in front of him, and his eyes scanning the room for any threats. Almost like he expected Liz and me to bum rush him to get in.

  Liz came back and handed me a visitor badge that I clipped on to my shirt. “They’ve already pulled Christof for us. He’s waiting in the high security interrogation room. They’ve turned recording on as per protocol.”

  I nodded. “Okay, let’s go see him then.”

  The guard opened the door and stepped into the hall ahead of us. The concrete walls were bare except for an occasional sign with directions. Those were new. They hadn’t been there last time.

  I paused at the one that pointed to the mental health part of the facility. That’s where I had stayed because Agent Ross was trying to convince me I’d lost control and started killing people with my elemental ability. Turned out she was wrong, and she had falsified the charges.

  “Agent Collins, keep up,” the guard called over his back, and I quickly caught up to him and Liz. He opened a set of double doors, and when we walked through, the tighter magic fell over us, cutting us off from our magic completely. I took a deep breath, trying to adjust to it, and reminded myself that it was very temporary. We wouldn’t be staying here long.

  The guard unlocked a door to our left. “I will be out here. Please knock if you need anything. Mr. Avrin is in magical cuffs, and he’s cuffed to the table.”

  The magical cuffs were a little overkill, but at least they were taking precautions. Liz and I walked in to see Christof sitting at the table with his cuffed hands on the tabletop. He smirked at me as we walked in.

  His gray hair was longer now, hitting about his ears, and there were wrinkles around his eyes and on his face hinting to his age. His eyes were the same brown as they were last time I’d seen him and that smirked looked no friendlier either.

  “Mr. Avrin,” Liz greeted and sat down across from him. I took the seat next to her and pulled up the picture on my phone, letting her take the lead.

  “Special Agent Jefferson, Special Agent Collins.” His voice was calm, almost businesslike. “To what do I owe this pleasure. I didn’t think I’d see you two again before my trial.”

  Liz nodded. “We actually have something we need you to look at. We think it’s Cult-related.”

  He laughed and looked at me. “Aren’t you Cult now Abby? I heard Merick brought you in after his father was killed.”

  “It’s not Merick’s sect, it’s yours.” I spun my phone around and showed him the image.

  He glanced at it. “Ah yes, a life prolonging rune, so much fun when you’re torturing people. Yes, it’s from my sect, and no, I have no idea who is using it because I’ve been stuck in here with no contact other than you and occasionally, Nick.”

  That struck a chord. “Nick resigned. He shouldn’t have access to you anymore.” I locked my jaw.

  “That explains why it’s been a few months. Are you done with me, agents? I have a riveting book I’d like to get back to.”

  I glanced at Liz, who shook her head. “I want a list of cult members who live in the area.”

  “I can’t provide that for you. We don’t require that for our sect. We keep as private as we can, for reasons I’m sure you know.”

  This was getting us nowhere. I stood. “Thanks for your time, Mr. Avrin.”

  I walked to the door, knocking so I could leave.

  Liz joined me a moment later, and the guard opened the door, letting us out. He guided us out of containment and back to the lobby.

  “That was a waste of time.” I shook my head. “Let’s go talk to the foster home.”

  Liz didn’t say anything as we walked to her car. We got in and she let out a long sigh. “It was, but at least we gave it a shot.”

  I nodded. “With Hannah and Samuel out of town now, if the bodies stop showing up, think it’s safe to assume it was them?”

  “I’m not sure when those two would have had the time. Hannah isn’t a day-walker, and Samuel can’t perform magic. Both were with you most of the night.”

  I hated it, but she had good points. “Okay, so it probably isn’t them, but it would have been nice to send someone else after Hannah.”

  Liz made an mmhmm noise as she pulled the car out of the parking lot.

  The foster home sat on the top of a hill and looked big enough to house an army. There was enough land around it to provide an area for magical kids to play and practice without hurting anyone, and it reminded me of a lot of the home for elemental kids we had worked with in the underground.

  “How many kids do they have here?” I climbed the steps to the front door.

  “Seven right now.” Liz rang the doorbell.

  The front door opened, and two big brown eyes stared up at me. She’d gotten taller since I last saw her almost a year ago, but she still had the same heart-shaped face.

  “Abby!” she squealed and threw her arms around me. “They told me I wouldn’t be able to see you again.”

  I glanced back at Liz, who was trying to hide a grin. “I know, Hope.” I tried to pry her off me, but she took my hand. “But we’re also here to talk to the person who’s in charge.”

  “Ohhhhh, that would be Mama!”

  My heart skipped a beat for a moment. There was no way her actual mother was in charge here, but the thought jolted me. Hope pulled me into the house, with Liz following.

  “Mama! We have company!” Hope stopped in the middle of the foyer. Her voice echoed in the room and a moment later, a woman entered.

  She was drying her hands on a rag and looked exhausted. “Hope, how many times do I have to tell you not to answer the doors for strangers?”

  Hope’s smile faded a little. “But Abby’s not a stranger. She’s the one who saved me.”

  I squeezed her hand. “Your Mama’s right, you shouldn’t be answering the door. Just remember that for next time.”

  Hope nodded. “Of course. Mama, this is Abby!”

  I smiled and let go of Hope’s hand. “Why don’t you go play while we talk?”

  “You won’t leave without saying goodbye, will you?”

  I shook my head. “Promise.” She gave me one more big hug before she ran off.

  “She’s still very attached to you.” The woman threw the dish towel over her shoulder. “I’m Allison Cruise. You must be the agents that called earlier.”

  Liz nodded and shook her hand. “I’m Agent Jefferson, and this is Agent Collins. We’re here about two people who worked here with you.”

  She nodded and motioned to a room off to the left. “Let’s talk in there so none of the children overhear us.”

  We followed her into an office with a desk, chair, and a couch. Liz and I sat on the couch.

  “When Agents knock on the door, it’s never a good thing.” She sighed. “You mentioned Jenny and Barb. What happened?”

  This was the hard part. Face to face explaining that someone was murdered. I took a deep breath. “We found both Jenny and Barb murdered.”

  She gave a little gasp that might have been a sob she was trying to hide. She put a hand to her mouth and t
ears gathered in her eyes. “I… I wasn’t expecting that.”

  “I know this is hard,” Liz started. “But we have some questions and an image we want you to look at.”

  She took a deep breath, and it was like she rebuilt herself in front of us. Gone were the tears and the gasps, and she folded her hands in her lap. She must have had a lot of practice holding herself together. “Of course, anything I can do to help with the investigation.”

  I pulled up the picture. “Does this symbol look familiar to you at all?”

  Her eyes flickered to the image and then to me. “You don’t know it Agent Collins? I would think you did.”

  I had a sinking feeling in my stomach. “I know what it does, and I know its origins. What I don’t know is who is using it.”

  She stood and went to the filing cabinet next to the desk. She flipped through a few folders. Finally, she pulled one out and walked over to us. She put it on the coffee table in front of us. ‘Hope’ was written on the front of it. “Take a look.”

  I glanced at Liz, and she nodded. I pulled the folder to me and opened it. There, in small shaky lines, was the rune. I swallowed. “I know what we’re dealing with now.”

  Liz looked over my shoulder and I swore I heard her hiss. “Adrianna.”

  “She’s in confinement.” I locked my jaw. “This can’t be her, but it doesn’t mean that it’s not one of her followers.”

  Liz sat back and was silent as I flipped through the other drawings. “Does Hope talk about these at all?”

  “No, not really. She draws them and leaves them around the house. Her therapist says it's her way of coping with things. Working through the trauma. The runes are probably something she saw.”

  It reminded me of the creepy picture that she’d drawn when I left her last time. I tried to imagine being six years old and holding all this scary knowledge floating around in my head. “I’m going to take pictures of these so that I have them.” I was also going to need to go to containment and talk to Adrianna. I wouldn’t be able to take Liz with me. It wasn’t right for me to ask her to face Adrianna after everything that happened.

  I flipped through each paper and took pictures.

  “Jenny and Barb, where they close to Hope?” Liz asked.

  “Jenny was. She was Hope’s tutor. Barb helped me run the kids around. Hope doesn’t go anywhere. All her doctor appointments are here at the house. She’s intimidated by the outside world. So when she goes out, it’s with me.”

  Liz made a note. “Does Hope have any visitors?”

  I finished taking pictures and made sure that all the drawings were back in the folder.

  “No, no one comes to visit her. Honestly, we can’t even find any relatives for her. Seems that her birth mother well and truly cut them off from everyone.”

  “I’ll need her therapist’s information, please.” I handed her the folder back. “And we’ll need to know who else has access to her drawings.”

  “Please. Don’t tell Hope that she’s involved. She’s done so much healing, but she still has a way to go.”

  I nodded. “I won’t.”

  We walked out of the office and two kids ran past us, nearly taking us out.

  Allison sighed. “I’ll be right back. Agent Collins, Hope typically plays in the backyard, if you’d like to see her.”

  “I would. I told her I wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye.”

  Allison motioned with her hand. “Through the living room, you’ll find the back doors there.”

  I followed her directions and found Hope standing out in the yard, barefooted and in the grass. I walked out as quiet as I could and just observed her for a moment.

  Magic rolled off her and her closed eyes tightened a little, and the magic pulled back into her. She opened her eyes and smiled at me. “Hello again, Abby.”

  “Liz and I are about to head out. I wanted to say goodbye.”

  She walked over and hugged me. “Will you be back?”

  “I don’t know, but I’m glad to see you again.”

  Her arms tightened around me. “Mama takes good care of me. She says one day I’ll grow up to be like you.”

  I put a hand on her head. “That’s some big dreams there, kiddo, but you can do whatever you put your mind to.”

  “I don’t have to be evil?”

  She had asked me that once before, right after I rescued her, and it broke my heart.

  I gently unwrapped her arms and squatted down so I could be on her level. “No one is born evil. It’s all about the choices we make. Make good choices and you’ll be good.”

  She nodded and then looked up as someone else walked out of the doors behind me. “Is it time for Abby to go?”

  “Yes, it is. Maybe she can visit again.” Allison’s voice came from behind me.

  I smiled at Hope. “I’d like that.” I gave her one last hug before making my way through the house and meeting Liz at her car.

  I sat in silence for a moment. Part of me was debating on if I should have taken Hope in at the end of her case. The other part was busy reminding me I lived in a crazy world that wouldn’t have been safe for a child.

  “Don’t think on it, Abby.” Liz broke my train of thought. “Hope is in the best place possible for her.”

  I took a deep breath. “Yeah, I know. Just… having been a child misplaced, I have a soft spot for her.”

  Liz gave a short laugh. “Yeah, but we cannot get attached to the victims.”

  She had a point. “Okay, so let’s think about this. We may have another Adrianna on our plate. Where do we even start with that?”

  “Whoever is doing this won’t be as old as she was, which means they probably aren’t as powerful.” Liz shivered. “I hope we don’t have an entire army of blood magic users to take down. I’m not sure I want to face that.”

  I nodded. “I’m not sure if we’ll survive that. We both barely survived Adrianna.”

  We both gave a nervous laugh of agreement, and Liz started the car. “That was more productive than talking to Christof.”

  “Yeah, I want to run all those runes that Hope drew through the system. Maybe that will lead us somewhere.”

  Liz sighed. “I don’t want her involved.”

  “Hope? I don’t think she’s truly involved.” I watched as the trees went by. “I think she’s just drawing things out as she saw them. What concerns me is that when we dealt with Ariana, none of her victims had that mark on them.”

  Liz said nothing.

  “Liz, did you see this mark when you were with her?”

  A few moments went by and Liz spoke. “I wasn’t sure if it was that one or not. My memory is fuzzy from my first stay with her.”

  Well, fuck. I didn’t know what to say.

  “My therapist is going to love this,” she muttered.

  I smiled a little. “I can handle it alone, if you want.”

  “I’m your guard. I have to be with you, regardless.”

  Ah, there was that. “Merick can come with me.”

  She seemed to think about it for a moment. “That might be a good idea if you have to go see her. I don’t want to be there.”

  And it wouldn’t be fair of me to ask her to face her nightmares like that. “I’ll talk to him about it tonight.”

  We drove in silence until we reached downtown. “Let me know if you find anything on those other runes that Hope drew.” Liz pulled up to the front of the building. “I have a lunch date, so I’ll be back later.”

  I checked the time as I got out of the car. “Bit late in the afternoon for lunch, don’t you think.”

  She shrugged and then grinned. “Don’t worry about my eating schedule, Collins.” She drove off.

  I shook my head. It still surprised me she was seeing someone. I paused. Travis had a girlfriend, and Liz was seeing someone.

  No. They couldn’t be. Could they?

  I shook the thought from my head and walked into the building. I had work to do, and Liz might have just wanted an
excuse to take some time for herself, or she really had a lunch date.

  My stomach growled. Maybe I should have thought about lunch too. I pulled my phone out and ordered food to be delivered while I climbed the stairs to where my office was.

  Walking through the door of the stairwell, I finished my order and then walked right into someone.

  I jerked my head up and apologized right away, but smiled when I saw Merick. “What are you doing here?”

  “Liz sent me a message that she couldn’t be at your side for the afternoon, so I’m on duty. You should probably watch where you’re going.”

  I nodded. “I was ordering lunch. I didn’t eat breakfast, and Liz and I have been running around all morning.” I unlocked my office. “We went and saw Christof this morning, hoping he could help us know who might be using the rune we found.”

  “Did he give you much information?”

  “No, but then we went and saw Hope.”

  Merick paused for a moment. “The daughter of the blood witch?”

  “Yes, that’s the one.”

  “And she gave you information?” His voice was hesitant.

  “Well, not her particularly. The foster mom showed us some of her drawings that had the same rune in them, as well as some others. Do you want to look while I run them in the system?”

  He sat down in the chair in front of the desk. “Let me scroll through the pictures on your phone after you get them into your system. I’m not sure if I’ll be much help or not.”

  “It’s not your sect of Cult, but Christof’s. That much we know.” I logged on to the computer and grabbed my photos from the data cloud. I slid my phone over to Merick. “We’re worried we’re dealing with Adrianna’s followers.”

  Merick started scrolling through the images. “Based on these, I would say yes, that’s what you’re dealing with.” He continued to look through the images. “No child should have this information.”

  “Remember, she was a special case. Her mother isolated her for years, and this was all she saw.”

  “I remember. How did she seem when you saw her?”